(from
http://narcosphere.narconews.com/story/2005/10/6/11652/8773)
The Day I Met George W. Bush
By Charlie Hardy,
Posted on Thu Oct 6th, 2005 at 01:16:52 AM EST
Last night I dreamt that I met George W. Bush. He and I were in a Caracas barrio attending a family “parilla,” a Venezuelan style cookout.
It was not a particularly large gathering, just the family, some neighbors, a few close friends, George Bush and I. Surrounded by salsa music, we stood in the patio alongside the simple structure that the family had built. Small conversations were taking place; the President was not part of them. He seemed to be in a daze, reflecting on the celebration that was happening around him.
I thought this might be my opportunity to share with the president of the United States what I thought he should do to bring peace to the world. I was pondering how I might do it tactfully when he walked past me, said hello and went out into the street, disappearing from my view.
Shortly after, he returned. He had gone to a nearby grocery store and came back carrying in his hands a few pounds of meat for the cookout.
It was a typical gesture of a neighbor or friend at a parilla. It was as though he wanted to be part of this celebration that was taking place.
Then I awoke.
As I laid in bed reflecting on my dream, I felt sad for President Bush, the man who had once been a party boy. Had he been here in his youth, he might have been the life of the party. Now, in the eyes of many, he has become the opposite: a symbol of death and destruction in what should be a worldwide celebration of life.
I am not a fan of heavy drinkers, but I found myself thinking that maybe it is a shame that George W. gave up the habit. The world would probably be a better place today if the abuse of alcohol were still his problem instead of the abuse of power, and his perpetual smile might be an honest reflection of what he was feeling.
Then I got out of bed, stepped into the shower and began another day in the real world.
(You may contact Charlie Hardy through his personal blog, cowboyincaracas.com ).